Tableware article



Sept. 23, 1941. M. E. BOTTOME TABLEWARE ARTICLE Filed Nov. 15, 1939 INVENTOR fige/ E flat/0m! ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 23, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE TABLEWARE ARTICLE Mabel E. Bottome, South Orange, N. J.

Application November 15, 1939, Serial No. 304,592

' 1 Claim.

This invention relates to tableware and more particularly refers to improvement in tableware articles intended for use under conditions apt to cause such articles-to be subjected to sudden impacts or to marked deviations from their normal vertically directed position, with the result that their contents may be easily spilled.

The above mentioned conditions are frequently presentaboard ships, in airplanes, in railroad cars, and in other conveyances. It is well known that heavy seas will cause the largest ships to roll to such an extent that it becomes necessary to equip tables with guards for glasses, bottles, dishes and other articles on the dining tables in order to prevent them from sliding ofi. While such precautions are efiective in preventing breakage and losses of chinaware and glasses, they do not in the least prevent the contents of such articles from being spilled, often with disagreeable results.

In dining cars and similar conveyances the tables on. which dishes, cups and similar articles rest, are not subject to severe deviations from the horizontal but are subject to sudden starts and stops which will also cause liquids to be violently disturbed from their normal state 01 rest and spill over.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a tableware article of a novel and improved construction designed so that it will in most cases efiectively prevent its contents from being spilled over the brim when the article is being used on a conveyance subject to the occurrence of some of the abnormal conditions above mentioned.

Another object is to provide a cup of a novel and improved construction, having its rim formed with an inwardly directed flange extending for themajor part of it periphery, leaving a small part of the rim exposed, suflicient for applying the lips thereto when drinking tea, cofiee, or other liquids contained in the cup.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will more fully appear as the description proceeds and will be set forth and claimed in the appended claim.

My invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a cup embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof Fig. 3 is a vertical section thereof through line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the same through line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4, showing a cup in which the flangeless portion or the rim is raised somewhat above the level of the dge of the spilling preventing flange; and

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of a drinking glass also embodying my invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, l0 designates a cup of more or less conventional shape, having a body portion ll, supported by a base l2, and provided with a handle 13.

The rim of said cup is formed with a flange M which is directed inwardly and preferably slightly upwardly from said rim, as Fig. 3 clearly shows. Said flange does not extend around the entire periphery of the rim but only around the major part of it, leaving a portion l5 of the rim exposed so that at this point the lips may be applied to the cup in the usual manner.

The exposed portion of the rim is preferably spaced ninety degrees from the handle in a clockwise direction asseen when looking down into the cup so that when the handle is grasped between the fingers of the right hand the exposed portion of the rim directly faces the person about to drink from the cup.

It will be readily understood that by virtue of this construction if the cup is filled to the usual level, that is, to about one-quarter of an inch from the exposed portion of the rim, as Figs. 3 and 4 clearly show, the level of the liquid may undergo violent fluctuations or disturbances and the cup may deviate to a very considerable angle from the horizontal before the liquid can be spilled over the brim, due to the retaining action of the flange it.

The only condition under which the liquid may be spilled from the cup when it is subjected to violent impacts or marked changes in its inclination is when the direction of the impacting force or of the rolling movement is such as to cause the liquid to move towards the exposed portion of the rim. However, it is usually possible for the person seated at the table to foresee in just what direction the next movement of the ship may take place and turn the cup around so that the exposed portion of its rim will remain at right angles to such movement.

It is also feasible to overcome the possibility of the liquid being spilled more easily over the exposed portion of the rim than over the portion which is protected by the flange, by raising the exposed portion of the rim above the level of the flanged portion of the rim.

Such a construction is shown in Fig. 5, where it designates the body of a cup having its rim provided with an inwardly directed flange l!- which leaves exposed the trout portion of the rim at II, the rim being gradually inclined upwardlyfrom the rear towards the front. Consequently the exposed portion of the rim l8 remains at a higher level than the balance of the rim and, therefore, provides more of a bulwark against the spilling of the liquid than it the top of the cup were lying in a horizontal plane.

My invention can also be applied to drinking glasses, as shown at I! in Fig. 6, and to such receptacles generally which are intended for drinking purposes.

It is obvious that my invention can be applied to cups and similar articles, of various sizes and shapes; the drawing should, therefore, be understood as being intended for illustrative purposes only and not in a limiting sense.

vexed, an inwardly directed flange formed onv the upper edge of the side wall, said flange extending along a major portion of said edge and leaving an exposed portion on said edge, said exposed portion serving as a lip receiving portion, and a handle mounted on said cup approximately 90 from the lip receiving portion.

MABEL E. BOTTOME. 

